Ukrainian woman detained with 2.1kg of cocaine at Penang International Airport
- THE STAR
GEORGE TOWN: A Ukrainian woman has been detained with 2.1kg of cocaine worth RM500,000 at the domestic arrival terminal of Penang International Airport here, Thursday.
Penang Narcotics CID chief Supt Guan Beng Kang said the 22-year-old woman, a first-time visitor to Malaysia, was arrested at 11am upon arrival after she was seen behaving suspiciously.
"Police followed the woman and detained her after she came out of the toilet," he told reporters here.
Upon inspection it was found she was carrying four chocolate tins containing 108 packages of suspected cocaine weighing 2.1kg, packed in colourful chocolate wrappings and at the bottom of the containers and real chocolates on top.
"The woman, who entered the country using a tourist pass, also hid some drugs in her rectum and removed it upon arrival at the airport," said Guan.
The woman had taken a flight on Dec 29 from Ukraine, before transiting at Dubai and arriving at KL International Airport (KLIA) on Dec 30.
"She transited at KLIA before flying to Penang on a domestic flight, hoping to dupe the authorities," he said.
Guan said further investigations were ongoing to determine the source of the drugs and police have not ruled out the possibility that it was for a syndicate in the country.
He said it was found that the woman did not have any information to whom to hand over the drugs to. It was understood that the syndicate would contact her as soon as she arrived in Penang.
Guan said further investigations were being carried out, including tracking syndicates in this country believed to have links with international drug trafficking networks.
"The woman, who is single and unemployed, also tested positive for drugs. She has been remanded for seven days to facilitate investigations," he said. - Bernama
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